August 12, 2009

This blog post is going to explain, hopefully, why I decided to take the dive into footy blogging.

Alright, well. It should be clear that my life is 100% consumed by soccer/football/futbol (in overly masculine latin voice). I play it, I watch it, and I support my teams. Then I take it even further, by having at least three online fantasy football teams in at least ten different leagues, follow at least 10+ blogs religiously every day, and waste countless hours away playing my one of many soccer video games (Eastleigh FC, champions in FM09). I wear my colors, I shout and sing at matches, and I am the most obnoxious backseat manager/player of all time. In essence, I appreciate the beautiful game.

At the same time, I have to live in the real world. Sadly, I am forced to take time off from all things footy to actually try to have a life. But just like any other fan, I relish the weekends for the short 90 minutes I have to forget everything else in the world and to live and die by my dreams. I mean, when I am away for long periods of time, food loses it's taste, beer makes me sleepy, and breathing seems repetitive. Where is the glory of landing a date with the hot chick you've eyed all year if Stoke City hadn't pulled off the upset against Arsenal? It's not the same really, when you stub your toe and Fernando Torres tears his ACL.

Let me amplify my point. U.S.A. - Mexico is tomorrow night. In between exams, research, work, and indoor beer league, I hope to catch at least a little bit of the historic night. This will be a truly epic game. The United States have never beat Mexico in their home turf. The winner of this match will be in the driver's seat for World Cup qualification. Further, this match will be the entrance exam for rising American heroes Howard, Dempsey, and Altidore, or can be a confirmation for a Mexican side desperately looking to reemerge from mediocracy. There is a massive amount of man pride on the line. You can bet, whoever wins tomorrow will be at the border, taunting the losers through the barbed wire fence.

To say this game will be entertaining is, well, obvious. But to say this game is important is an understatement. The unfolding of events for Team USA have come at the most opportune time. American players are proving they can cut it at the top flight, news agencies likes ESPN and the WSJ are cashing in on the ballooning popularity. For the first time in America, a sport culture is surging to the top without a mass-marketed corporate sponsorship, but by pure and simple appreciation for what soccer is. It's a world sport, and it's starting to grow from it's humble grassroots into a full fledged, well, grassroots movement.

Ahem. Sorry. Anyways, the point I am trying to make is that tomorrow night could be the World Series of Poker finals, or the World Series of baseball. Either way, I wouldn't be watching nor would I care. But Team USA, that's like, the '92 Dream Team, or the 1980 hockey finals. Because it is soccer, and it is just as American as Freedom Fries. In the end, it is never just another sporting event. Soccer has always been able to transcend sport. This is hard nosed American brute force versus saucy and stylish Mexicans. This is border war.

Tomorrow, I'll forget that I have debts to pay and chores to do. Dishes can wait. History cannot. For soccer, I will do that.